


Need Some Help

by honeyharperofficial284



Category: Renegades - Marissa Meyer
Genre: F/M, idiots in love and against it, if only this is what happened, let me just.... tenderly help address your wounds
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:35:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26721493
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeyharperofficial284/pseuds/honeyharperofficial284
Summary: ARCHENEMIES SPOILER WARNINGSo basically instead of dealing with the wound Genissa gave Adrian on his own, he calls Nova for help and is forced to explain things to her while she helps patch him up.
Relationships: Nova Artino | Nightmare/Adrian Everhart | Sketch
Comments: 13
Kudos: 30





	1. Chapter 1

"Adrian?" Nova asked as she came down into the basement. He had asked her to come over and said she could just let herself in.

She wasn't sure what she was supposed to suspect. She knew his dads weren't home but he didn't specify why he wanted her over now and for what. It made her both giddy and nervous. 

Maybe her plan was working and she was winning him over more and more. But she shuddered at the thought of having to use him like that and the heartbreak he would feel when he inevitably found out.

Or maybe, even worse, he already had found out she was Nightmare and was confronting her about it, admittedly private which was a small relief, but she still wasn't ready for it all to be over.

Nova went down to his room and saw the bathroom door wide open, his shadow falling into the bedroom.

"Adrian?" She called again, coming closer.

He was in the bathroom, shirtless and holding something to his bleeding side.

Her heart plummeted. 

"Sweet rot" Nova muttered, dread making knots in her stomach.

Adrian looked up, finally noticing she was here. He offered her a soft smile, as if nothing was wrong.

"Can you hold this in place for me for a second?" He asked, nodding to the gauze pad he was holding to the gash on his side.

"Umm... yeah sure," she stuttered, still shocked. 

Nova washed her hands and dried them before pressing down on the gauze pad for him. When the blood still soaked through she grabbed another and layered it on top, applying more pressure then before.

Adrian hissed in pain and she eased a little while he dug around for alcohol wipes in the little first aid kit he had open.

As gently as she could, Nova moved her hand and let him clean it before she put on a fresh gauze pad.

"You might want to draw on some stitches," Nova suggested softly.

He shook his head. "It's starting to dry up."

"Okay," she agreed. "Put your hand on the gauze pads. I'll wrap it for you then."

Nova took one of his hands in hers and placed it over the gauze pads before removing her own. She rummaged in the kit and grabbed the roll of wrapping bandages.

She unraveled part of it and placed it on the gauze pads, Adrian holding it down while she wrapped the bandages behind him before bringing it across him at the front. She repeated it, making sure it was tight and holding the gauze in place, before she knotted it and folded the knot into the wrapping.

The whole time, Nova tried hard not to think about how his eyes kept flickering to her face and the heat that was spreading to her cheeks as she touched him. She did her best not to think about his hands or his chest and the way his muscles felt.

She couldn't let herself actually be attracted to him. Adrian was not for her. He was never going to be for her.

Nova did notice the numerous tattoos littered across Adrian's body from the few glances she did steal. They were very specific drawings and the pictures were a little odd too to be used for tattoos. Adrian never struck her as the tattoo type either, not that she cared though.

"Are you going to tell me how this happened?" Nova asked as she washed her hands, doing her best to remain calm.

She was extremely worried about Adrian and was ready to explode on him but was doing her best to control it. Being upset wasn't going to help and she shouldn't be caring about him this much.

"I called you over because I figured you'd handle this best and know what to do," Adrian replied.

But that did not address the question asked.

"Adrian," Nova said, changing her tone to be more serious. "Tell me how this happened?"

He was dodging the question and they both knew it. She wasn't sure what exactly Adrian was hiding but he couldn't hide it from her. Not anymore at least.

"Nova it's not that big a deal," he said.

"Not that big a deal?" Nova scoffed. "Adrian you're bleeding out from your side and apparently you have tattoos. You're explaining all of this."

"You're going to be really mad at me about it though," he protested.

"As if I won't be mad at you for not explaining? Why even call me here for help if you didn't intend to tell me? You even said it yourself that I'm the one who would handle it best so you're only minimizing the damage at this point."

Adrian sighed. "Genissa stabbed me."

"What!" Nova exclaimed. She had always hated Genissa, knowing exactly what she did to get her way and get anyone to submit to her. But she didn't think that she would ever go so low and stab Adrian of all people.

"Are we really surprised by this?" Adrian asked.

"I mean no but tell your dads. That's awful."

"I can't," Adrian said.

"Why not?" Nova demanded.

"Because Genissa didn't think she stabbed me she thinks she stabbed the Sentinel," he told her.

It all clicked in her mind. Adrian was the Sentinel.

It must have been what the tattoos were for as well and why the Sentinel had so many abilities. The flame he had on him was one of the many designs that made much more sense now with an explanation, resulting in the burn that was delivered to Danna at the fight at the parade. The tattoos must have granted him more powers.

Nova was absolutely furious but didn't say anything, trying to collect her thoughts.

She loathed the Sentinel. 

But of course it wasn't like she could tell him those reasons and in all fairness, she had no right to be upset with him for having a secret identity when she had one as well.

However she was pissed that she would ever do something so foolish and risky and for what reason? To seem more heroic? She had no idea why he would ever think this was a good idea or worth the trouble it would bring?

All the incidents that happened from it too?

He burned Danna and fell into the bay. She had shot him which terrified her but he had also saved the Anarchists and her by pulling through and keeping Genissa at bay from completely destroying their home in attempts to arrest them.

It explained the hate for Nightmare. He never liked her after she shot Hugh and the Sentinel seemed dead set on trying to figure out who killed Lady Indomitable.

Maybe that was his motive for being the Sentinel as it couldn't have been hunting down Nightmare alone. The Sentinel showed up at the same time as her shooting the Captain which meant Adrian had created it before.

Still, it was risky and stupid and he didn't need to be the Sentinel to do that. 

"Please say something," he whispered.

"Adrian how could you do something so risky? What if something worse happened?" Nova said finally. As mad as she was, and as much as it felt like a betrayal to the Anarchists, his safety came first.

"Originally I created the Sentinel to try and prove a point to my dads but it backfired immediately when I burned Danna," Adrian admitted. "I felt like their rules were holding the Renegades back but honestly the more I've been sneaking around I get why those rules are there. I mean if they weren't I can't imagine how much worse Genissa would be. She killed Hawthorne and blamed it on me and then stabbed me and I've seen how she goes out of her way to harm to Anarchists so if they stand up for themselves she can use it against them."

Nova sighed. "And that's very noble of you but all you've done is cause trouble for yourself. Please don't continue with it again. You're going to get yourself hurt worse and dig yourself even deeper into whatever hole you've gotten yourself in."

"I know. I was planning on stopping but I didn't trust Genissa to handle Hawthorne and despite the consequences, I'm glad I did so."

Sweet rot he was too noble for his own good. 

"Just please be careful," Nova begged.

"Are you mad at me? I mean you hate the Sentinel," Adrian said.

"That was before I knew who was behind it and why they were doing certain things. It was before I had your side of the story. I was thinking that it was someone in over their head harming random people for no reason. Now I know it's just you in over your head trying to help and then getting caught up in the middle of things."

"So you're not mad at me?"

"Oh no I'm definitely mad but because you're being an idiot and getting yourself hurt and blamed for crimes you didn't commit."

Adrian smiled, laughing a little.

"So as long as I stop you'll like me?" He asked.

"I'll always like you it's more of if I don't hate you. But no I don't hate you for anything."

"You'll always like me huh?" Adrian asked, giving her a cheeky grin.

Heat rose from her neck to her face.

"I didn't- that's not-" she stuttered, doing her best to collect herself. "Okay now I hate you."

He burst out laughing and she couldn't help but laugh. He had a contagious smile and the same went for his laughter.

"Thank you for helping me," Adrian said, beginning to put the safety kit back together and away.

"Of course," Nova said.

"Maybe next time we hang out nothing bad will happen," he laughed. "Maybe next time we hang out it could be at the Gala together."

"What?" 

"The Gala. Would you like to come with me? As a date I mean. Officially this time since I didn't make it clear about the amusement park," he said, looking a little sheepish.

"Sure," Nova said immediately, elated by the offer. "That sounds great."

She could figure out strategy later. She could figure out getting the Vitality Charm later.

"And maybe we could still hang out tonight. That is if you don't have anywhere to be."

"I don't sleep Adrian. I have all the time in the world," she joked, a little smug.

"That's not entirely true," Adrian pointed out, pushing a strand of her hair back and tucking it behind her ear. His hand stayed in place and his eyes fell to her lips. His thumb followed and he didn't even seem to realize that he was touching her in a way that was definitely not how friends touched one another.

Nova's heart was pounding and she was positive that he wanted to kiss her.

She couldn't help but want to kiss him too.

Slowly, she took his face in her hands and kissed him.

Adrian fell into it and at first it was slow and gentle but it quickly became more heated. A hand was in her hair and another was holding tightly onto her waist. She was practically holding Adrian to her, shaking from all the physical contact and the way his bare chest felt against her body, even if she was fully clothed.

Their lips moved in sync as their breathing got heavier. Her heartbeat more erratic and she couldn't help but feel ecstatic over what was happening.

Nova kissed him harder and he moaned against her mouth in response.

Suddenly, she felt Adrian's arm go around her waist and the other behind her legs. He picked up her and placed her on the bathroom counter as gently as he could, pinning her back against the mirror. He leaned over the counter, Nova feeling the heat of his body seeping through his clothes and she was sure he could feel the pounding of her heart in return.

"Adrian don't strain yourself when you're hurt," Nova chastised, breaking their kiss.

Adrian cupped her face in his hand, thumb making small circles on his cheek.

"Don't worry. I won't. Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily."

"Just be careful."

He brought her mouth back to his, this time being far more delicate then before. Nova couldn't help but pull him closer, wrapping her legs around him and pressing their torsos somehow even closer together then they were before.

Nova's body was on fire as they kissed over and over again. She liked the way his hands felt. She liked the way his lips felt against her skin. And she liked the way it felt to trace out the tattoos on Adrian with her finger ever so carefully. She certainly liked how he smiled against her mouth and kissed her harder for it.

Nova was yelling at herself internally too though. She shouldn't be kissing him. She shouldn't be letting herself be touched and held like this by him. 

But she lied to her own mind and let herself think that it was just her playing her role of winning him over and winning his affection. Though she knew that she had already won his affection.

That was made clear as his hands fell from her face and slid down her neck, over her shoulders and down her arms until his hands found hers, fingers intertwining. It was almost as if he was trying to memorize the way she felt, as if she would disappear in an instant. If only she eventually wouldn't have to disappear and leave him for good.

Adrian would be done with her once he found out she was Nightmare. And then he'd be hating himself for doing this with her as much as she was already hating herself for it too.

She was betraying herself and her family by doing this. To like him and want to kiss him would be to betray her parents and Evie.

Especially Evie, the person who deserved justice the most and the death that Nova's hand played too big a role in.

Tears welled up behind her eyes as the memory replayed over and over again. Gunshots ricocheted in her mind, pounding in her skull.

Nova's eyes flew open as she tried to get them to go away. But the inevitable was still there.

Things were never going to work between them. It just wouldn't.

For some reason it only made her want to kiss him more, to hold onto it while she could, even if she knew heartbreak would follow.

Everything was a blur, a hazy delirium. Adrian's hand fell to her thigh, his other gripping her waist. Her own were places they shouldn't have been; one in his hair, cradling his head, and the other at his back, feeling the muscles beneath his hot skin.

Nova hadn't even realized where their hands were and she'd be lying if she said she didn't like it.

A smaller voice began to yell in her mind.

What if Adrian never had to know that she was Nightmare. What if she left the Anarchists for good. What if she just gave it all up.

If it weren't for them, then she could have Adrian. She could have friends and a normal life. It would be a good life for her.

The only problem was that she wouldn't know if that was what she really wanted. She didn't know if that would make her happy, take off the weight on her chest that had been there for ten years. Sometimes it only felt heavier when she was with the Anarchists.

But all those thoughts were once again drowned out by thoughts of Evie. She could not fail her again, no matter what. How could she ever be happy with life if she failed her again?

Nova continued to try and get herself to stop crying, to stop replaying the deaths in her mind. But she couldn't help it. Once she closed her eyes for two long, it was all that she could think of.

She had only been in the closet for a few minutes, but being stuck in the pitch dark with death looming over her made it feel like a lifetime. So when she closed her eyes she thought of being stuck in the closet and the terror she felt along with everything attached to it.

Adrian seemed to notice, pulling away, worry in his eyes.

"Are you okay?" He asked, brushing away some tears with the pad of his thumb.

"I just- sometimes when I close my eyes too long, the moment my parents and sister died gets replayed in my mind involuntarily. I'll be fine it just happens sometimes," she explained. It was a half-truth, there being far more to why she was thinking about it, but it wasn't like what she was saying was bullshit. That was how it worked but usually there was more to set it off.

"Then we don't have to do this," Adrian reassured. "And in all honesty I should probably put a shirt on before my dads get home."

Nova laughed lightly and he gave her a soft look, dark brown eyes washing over her.

"You sure you're okay? Do you want to talk about it?" He offered.

Nova shook her head. There was nothing she could say that he didn't already know.

He frowned but tried to change the mood, steering the conversation away from her tears.

"We should watch a movie," Adrian offered. "If you want that is."

"I think it would be smart for me to head home but you should probably clean everything up and take care of the shirt," Nova said, nodding to the blood soaked t-shirt that was sitting in the tub.

"I think I'll just have to throw it out when I take out the trash. It's a shame though. I did like that shirt."

"Just run it under some water with some soap and then put it in the washing machine with hydrogen peroxide. That's what I do when I get blood on clothes," Nova said, letting Adrian help her off the counter.

"Why are you getting blood on your clothes so often that you know that?" Adrian asked, bewildered by her statement.

She stared at a moment before he realized.

"Oh! Right! Periods. Forgot about those," he said quickly. 

Nova snorted. His facial expression and tone of voice were too funny.

"So do you have hydrogen peroxide?" Nova asked, picking it up from the tub. "I mean if not you can just wash it now with soap and then put it in the wash and lie and say it was paint."

"Yeah there's some in here actually. We keep it with the first aid stuff for when the alcohol wipes run out," Adrian said, opening the cabinet beneath the counter and pulling out the dark brown bottle.

Nova tossed the shirt in the sink and squirted a bunch of soap on it before turning on the water, watching idly as he rinsed out the blood for a moment before she washed out the blood in the tub.

Adrian wrung out the shirt before he left the bathroom with the hydrogen peroxide and went to the washing machine in the back. Nova washed her hands and then checked the time. She had been kissing him for nearly 45 minutes alone.

Adrian came back to her, having put on a shirt.

"I'll walk you to the door," he offered, slipping her hand in his, smiling at her.

They went upstairs and as she opened the door to leave, walking out, Adrian pulled her back to him. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"See you at the Gala?"

"See you at the Gala," Nova promised before he let her go.

She walked back to the row house feeling both elated and also feeling like she wanted to throw up.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The same thing but it's Adrian's POV and yes he's absolutely in love with Nova.

Adrian pressed the balled up shirt to his side. He was glad Nova was on her way as there was too much blood coming out of him at the moment for him to be able to deal with it on his own. At least without making a giant mess.

He was thankful Nova was on her way. He could always count on her and she somehow knew what to do in any situation. Despite knowing her for only a few short months, she was extremely reliable and trustworthy.

Adrian would admit that he had also called her because he wanted to see her and was debating asking her out to the Gala as his date, even if the situation was less then ideal.

He didn't even hear her come in as he tossed the shirt into the bathtub and finally managed to lay a gauze pad onto his side.

"Sweet rot," Nova muttered in horror, catching his attention. She was standing in the doorway of the bathroom, eyes caught on all the blood.

Adrian looked up, finally noticing she was here. He offered her a soft smile, as if nothing was wrong. It was the best he could really do to calm her nerves enough that they could focus on the task at hand. 

"Can you hold this in place for me for a second?" He asked, nodding to the gauze pad he was holding to the gash on his side.

"Umm... yeah sure," she stuttered, still shocked.

Nova washed her hands and dried them before pressing down on the gauze pad for him. When the blood still soaked through she grabbed another and layered it on top, applying more pressure then before.

Adrian hissed in pain and she eased a little while he dug around for alcohol wipes in the little first aid kit he had open. He tore it open and Nova moved her hands and the bloody gauze for him to wipe it clean.

It stung, but it didn't hurt too badly and having Nova there certainly helped.

Nova took a fresh gauze pad and placed it back at the gash once he finished cleaning it off.

"You might want to draw on some stitches," she suggested softly.

He looked at the cut. On the edges of it, the blood was drying up and starting to scab, no doubt a result of the vitality charm tattoo.

Adrian shook his head. "It's starting to dry up."

"Okay," she agreed, her voice the most calm and soothing he had ever heard it be. "Put your hand on the gauze pads. I'll wrap it for you then."

Nova took one of his hands in hers and placed it over the gauze pads before removing her own. Despite the fact that he was bleeding out, he couldn't help but shiver from the electricity that ran through him when she took his hand in hers. 

Nova rummaged in the kit and grabbed the roll of wrapping bandages.

She unraveled part of it and placed it on the gauze pads, Adrian holding it down while she wrapped the bandages behind him before bringing it across him at the front. He couldn't help but notice how she did it so delicately and attentively. Her tongue stuck out a little from her focus as well, a cute quirk of hers that he had noticed more recently as he had caught himself staring at her more and more.

Adrian also couldn't help but feel his heart pound twice as fast when Nova touched his chest, placing her hands here and there as she worked the bandages around him before tying it off and tucking the not into the wrapping.

Adrian also noticed that occasionally his eyes would flicker from her hands to her face and then to her lips. She must have noticed as he saw a faint blush and then noticed her catching glances at him as well. Of course Nova might also have been curious about the tattoos but he was still 87% sure that she was interested in him the way he was interested in her.

"Are you going to tell me how this happened?" Nova asked as she washed her hands, a casual tone to her voice, like she was just curious and he wasn't going to have to tell her if he didn't want to. He was hoping he didn't have to tell her.

Nova hated the Sentinel. Adrian didn't know why but once she figured it out, he was terrified that he'd lose her trust and she'd never like him again.

He didn't want to lose a chance at a relationship with her and he certainly didn't want to ruin the friendship they had now.

"I called you over because I figured you'd handle this best and know what to do," Adrian replied.

He was dodging the question, doing his best to get out of the situation before it blew up on him.

"Adrian," Nova said, changing her tone to be more serious. "Tell me how this happened?"

"Nova it's not that big a deal," he said, doing his best to keep things calm.

"Not that big a deal?" Nova scoffed. "Adrian you're bleeding out from your side and apparently you have tattoos. You're explaining all of this."

"You're going to be really mad at me about it though," he protested. Adrian really didn't want her to be upset with him but it looked like they were heading in that direction anyways.

"As if I won't be mad at you for not explaining? Why even call me here for help if you didn't intend to tell me? You even said it yourself that I'm the one who would handle it best so you're only minimizing the damage at this point."

Adrian sighed. There was no getting around it. Nova was making that clear and she was right. Ruby would spend an hour yelling at him for being reckless, Oscar wasn't the best help when it came to medical stuff, and he was not sure how Danna would react but he didn't think it would be good.

But it's not like Nova knew all of them that well and she would probably be the least upset with him out of all of them. Though she was reckless and a total hot-head when they were in actual fights, she was the total opposite when things were more relaxed and not swarmed by chaos. Then she was level-head and always calm despite whatever happened.

It was something about her that he really admired.

Still, her hate for the Sentinel was still there. While the others had a direct reason to hate the Sentinel, being him setting her on fire accidentally, he didn't know why Nova hated the Sentinel. It could be far better or far worse.

Adrian was just betting her hate for Genissa out-weighed it which was probably going to be true.

"Genissa stabbed me," Adrian admitted.

"What!" Nova exclaimed. 

His heart pounded. Maybe this wasn't going to be as peaceful of a revelation as he had hoped.

"Are we really surprised by this?" Adrian asked. Of all the people that they knew who would stab him of course it would be her. She hated him and his team.

"I mean no but tell your dads. That's awful," Nova insisted, horrified.

"I can't," Adrian said.

"Why not?" Nova demanded.

"Because Genissa didn't think she stabbed me she thinks she stabbed the Sentinel," he told her. He blurted it out and he hadn't meant to shout it but there was really no good way to tell her. She'd figure out on her own soon anyways..

Adrian watched as it clicked in Nova's mind.

But she stayed silent, making faces of confusion and disgust and relief and all sorts of emotions every second. It must have been a lot to take in.

Her teammate and team leader was the Sentinel. He was the team leader and they were good friends. Yet Nova loathed the Sentinel.

She stood there for what felt like hours, completely silent and not even looking at him, trying to comprehend what he told her.

"Please say something," he whispered.

"Adrian how could you do something so risky? What if something worse happened?" Nova said finally. 

It was a relief for that be the first question on her ask. Maybe she would be upset but she wasn't going to scramble away and hate his guts. She still cared.

"Originally I created the Sentinel to try and prove a point to my dads but it backfired immediately when I burned Danna," Adrian admitted. "I felt like their rules were holding the Renegades back but honestly the more I've been sneaking around I get why those rules are there. I mean if they weren't I can't imagine how much worse Genissa would be. She killed Hawthorne and blamed it on me and then stabbed me and I've seen how she goes out of her way to harm to Anarchists so if they stand up for themselves she can use it against them."

Nova sighed. "And that's very noble of you but all you've done is cause trouble for yourself. Please don't continue with it again. You're going to get yourself hurt worse and dig yourself even deeper into whatever hole you've gotten yourself in."

Adrian figured that every single situation with the Sentinel, including the one where she shot him and the ones she wasn't even part of but saw on the news, was running through her mind. He had definitely got himself in a lot of intense situations, including the one he was suffering from now.

"I know. I was planning on stopping but I didn't trust Genissa to handle Hawthorne and despite the consequences, I'm glad I did so."

It was the truth. If he hadn't been there then the death of Hawthorne would forever go unsolved. It happened in a junk yard and they could have blamed it as something falling and crushing her on a fluke accident despite their best efforts. But since he was there, even if it was blamed on him, once the whole mess was finally sorted out, there would be justice for her.

"Just please be careful," Nova begged. Adrian didn't think he had ever seen her so worried before, especially not about him.

"Are you mad at me? I mean you hate the Sentinel," Adrian dared to ask. He needed to know just how much trouble he was in with her. He figured he'd keep his secret but he didn't want her drift away completely, especially not when he wanted to ask her to the Gala which was only a few days away.

"That was before I knew who was behind it and why they were doing certain things. It was before I had your side of the story. I was thinking that it was someone in over their head harming random people for no reason. Now I know it's just you in over your head trying to help and then getting caught up in the middle of things."

"So you're not mad at me?" Adrian asked.

"Oh no I'm definitely mad but because you're being an idiot and getting yourself hurt and blamed for crimes you didn't commit."

Adrian smiled, laughing a little. It was a relief.

"So as long as I stop you'll like me?" He asked.

"I'll always like you it's more of if I don't hate you. But no I don't hate you for anything," Nova said.

It warmed his heart. Nova liked him and even if it wasn't in a romantic way she liked him as a friend and she liked him a lot as a friend. He liked being close with her and he also liked her not hating him.

"You'll always like me huh?" Adrian asked, giving her a cheeky grin.

He watched as a red tint came under the brown skin of her face and neck.

"I didn't- that's not-" she stuttered, doing her best to collect herself. "Okay now I hate you."

He burst out laughing and Nova laughed too.

"Thank you for helping me," Adrian said, beginning to put the safety kit back together and away.

"Of course," Nova said.

He then realized that now was his chance to ask her out. Things between them were good and she wasn't about to leave.

"Maybe next time we hang out nothing bad will happen," he laughed. "Maybe next time we hang out it could be at the Gala together."

"What?"

"The Gala. Would you like to come with me? As a date I mean. Officially this time since I didn't make it clear about the amusement park," he said a little sheepishly. He felt bad about not making it clear and it certainly had been a little awkward when he showed up for a casual date and she showed up for a mission. Adrian just hoped he hadn't embarrassed Nova with it and he wasn't about to do it again.

"Sure," Nova said immediately, seemingly elated by the offer. "That sounds great."

Adrian's heart jumped to his throat. He was delighted by her response. She had agreed to go with him to the Gala, as his date no less.

"And maybe we could still hang out tonight. That is if you don't have anywhere to be," Adrian offered. He still wanted to spend time with her.

"I don't sleep Adrian. I have all the time in the world," she joked, a little smug.

"That's not entirely true," Adrian pointed out, pushing a strand of her hair back and tucking it behind her ear. His hand stayed in place and his eyes fell to her lips. His thumb followed and he didn't even realize until Nova took his face into her hands and kissed him.

It was a better response then he could have ever dreamed. The first time Adrian asked her out he messed it up and she didn't realize. The first time he tried to kiss Nova she ran off.

Now once he asked her out, despite everything that happened, she agreed and she had made the move to kiss him.

Adrian fell into it and at first it was slow and gentle but it quickly became more heated. A hand was in her hair and another was holding tightly onto her waist. She was practically holding Adrian to her and he wondered if Nova could hear his pounding heart.

Their lips moved in sync as their breathing got heavier. His skin grew hot and he couldn't help but feel like putty in her hands. It was an incredible feeling and she was incredible kissed. 

Adrian wondered if she had ever done something like this before but he knew it was none of his business. He was just hoping he wasn't the only one who was inexperienced so it wasn't like she knew what she was doing and he was following along blindly.

Nova kissed him harder and Adrian moaned against her mouth in response. He would have been horrified but she seemed to like it.

Adrian couldn't help but want more as she filled up his thoughts and senses. Nova was just so perfect. She smelled nice and could kick his ass. She was a genius and incredibly beautiful. She was caring and kind and yet always stood her ground and bended the rules here and there in order to help others the best she could.

Adrian wanted to sweep Nova off her feet. He was going to sweep her off her feet.

He slid an arm around her waist and another beneath her legs, carefully picking her up and setting her on the counter. She hardly weighed anything in his arms as he pushed her up against the mirror, leaning over the counter so their bodies were pressed together.

"Adrian don't strain yourself when you're hurt," Nova chastised, breaking their kiss.

Adrian cupped her face in his hand, thumb making small circles on his cheek.

"Don't worry. I won't. Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily."

"Just be careful."

Adrian brought her mouth back to his, this time being far more delicate then before. Nova pulled him closer to her, wrapping her legs around him gently. It sent fireworks off inside him as their bodies were somehow pressed together even more if it was even possible.

Adrian liked the way her lips felt against his skin. He liked how her legs felt wrapped around him. He liked how it felt to put her on the counter and pin her to the wall. He liked how she melted at his touch and seemed to be enjoying it despite Adrian going on nothing but desire.

Adrian certainly liked how Nova's finger and hands felt against his skin as she delicately traced out his tattoos. It felt just like a whisper, a ghost or phantom as her fingers trailed down his bicep, and then his chest, and then every place she saw that had a tattoo.

Adrian only smiled and kissed her harder for it, earning a small gasp and then a grin from Nova.

He couldn't help but want her and after he thought he had almost missed his chance with her, he didn't plan on losing her.

His hands fell from her face and slid down her neck, over her shoulders and down her arms until his hands found hers, fingers intertwining. He wanted to memorize what he could of her like she was doing to him and he wanted to hold her forever.

Adrian dreaded the thought of her running away and never wanting to speak to him again over the Sentinel. He dreaded the thought of her turning around and deciding she hated him.

He was determined to make sure their relationship worked, despite any leftover qualms she had about the Sentinel. For Nova he would make it work.

In the back of his mind was always the thought that she wasn't meant for him, that because he was the Sentinel she wouldn't have him but now he knew that it was bullshit, even if the voice in the back of his mind begged to differ. Adrian could have Nova and was going to so long as she wanted him.

Everything was a blur, a hazy delirium. Nova had a hand deep in his coiled hair, cradling his neck while the other roamed his back, nails digging into his skin ever so slightly. It wasn't like Adrian necessarily had his hands in appropriate places either, his hand falling to her thigh, his other gripping her waist. 

She felt so good in his hands, fitting perfectly in those spots almost like they were made for it. Like he was made for her.

Adrian would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy it.

But as he took Nova in and drank up what she gave him, he couldn't help but notice something wet rolling down her cheeks and onto his skin.

He pulled away, worried the second he saw Nova's tears. Adrian didn't want her to be uncomfortable or regretting anything and he certainly didn't want her to be upset in general.

"Are you okay?" He asked, brushing away some tears with the pad of his thumb, ever so gently.

"I just- sometimes when I close my eyes too long, the moment my parents and sister died gets replayed in my mind involuntarily. I'll be fine it just happens sometimes," Nova explained.

It broke his heart. He hated that he couldn't close her eyes for too long without being in pain from what happened, no matter the circumstances.

"Then we don't have to do this," Adrian reassured, not wanting to ever put Nova in a position like this again. "And in all honesty I should probably put a shirt on before my dads get home."

Nova laughed lightly and he gave her a soft look, dark brown eyes washing over her.

"You sure you're okay? Do you want to talk about it?" Adrian asked. He was always here for her.

Nova shook her head. He frowned but tried to change the mood, steering the conversation away from her tears.

"We should watch a movie," Adrian offered, changing the subject since she clearly didn't want to talk about it if she even had something to say. "If you want that is."

"I think it would be smart for me to head home but you should probably clean everything up and take care of the shirt," Nova said, nodding to the blood soaked t-shirt that was sitting in the tub.

His heart sunk a little at the thought of her going home but at least they had worked things out and he managed to not only get her to go to the Gala with him, but kiss him too. But Adrian also figured it would be better for her mental health to let her go home and relax if it was what she wanted and thought she needed.

"I think I'll just have to throw it out when I take out the trash. It's a shame though. I did like that shirt," Adrian told her, keeping the conversation light.

"Just run it under some water with some soap and then put it in the washing machine with hydrogen peroxide. That's what I do when I get blood on clothes," Nova said, letting Adrian help her off the counter. He carefully took her hips in his hands and picked her up once more, setting her gently on the tile floor of the bathroom.

"Why are you getting blood on your clothes so often that you know that?" Adrian asked, bewildered by her statement.

She stared at a moment before he realized.

"Oh! Right! Periods. Forgot about those," he said quickly.

Nova snorted, finding his reaction hilarious.

"So do you have hydrogen peroxide?" Nova asked, picking the shirt up from the tub. "I mean if not you can just wash it now with soap and then put it in the wash and lie and say it was paint."

"Yeah there's some in here actually. We keep it with the first aid stuff for when the alcohol wipes run out," Adrian said, opening the cabinet beneath the counter and pulling out the dark brown bottle.

Nova tossed the shirt in the sink and squirted a bunch of soap on it before turning on the water, watching idly as he rinsed out the blood for a moment before she washed out the blood in the tub.

Adrian wrung out the shirt before he left the bathroom with the hydrogen peroxide and went to the washing machine in the back. He went and found a fresh shirt after he turned on the washing machine, then returning to Nova.

"I'll walk you to the door," he offered, slipping her hand in his, smiling at her.

They went upstairs and as she opened the door to leave, walking out, Adrian pulled her back to him. He pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"See you at the Gala?"

"See you at the Gala," Nova promised before he let her go.

He watched as she left the manor grounds and stayed at the doorway until she had been out of sight for a while. Adrian knew she could handle herself but he just wanted to be cautious for her safety.

He shut the door and went back to his room, heart soaring as he sat on the couch and turned on his armband to tell Oscar the good news about him and Nova going to the Gala together. He also noticed the time and realized that he had been making out with Nova for about 45 minutes alone.

Adrian couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe Nova had let him kiss her that much for that long and did the same back. He was still in awe by what had happened and mesmerized by her completely.

Nova was all Adrian had ever wanted and more.


End file.
